been staring at Étienne since he uttered her name, but now she jerked her eyes to her cousin. “Yes. Fine. Work. We’re all here for work. I’m here for…work.”
Étienne’s lips twitched as he looked down, still holding open the conference room door. She was just as nervous as he was, and damn it, it made him want to smile because he was reminded of how flustered she could get and how much he used to like it.
Kate pivoted quickly, passing by him as she stepped back into the corridor. He closed the conference room door and led the way down the hall wordlessly, listening for her footfalls behind him. Stopping at his office, he opened the door and held it for her, clenching his jaw as she swept past him, trying to remind himself that the woman who was addling his mind right now was the same girl who’d looked into his eyes with devotion and then had promptly forgotten he ever existed.
Tightening his lips and narrowing his eyes, he trailed behind her, cursing his cane as he made his way slowly to his desk, finally lowering his body to the chair with relief.
Kate glanced at him, and then looked quickly around the room before taking a step toward one of two guest chairs in front of his desk, placing her briefcase in one and pulling out the other to sit. She unsnapped her briefcase, opening it and repositioning it to face her, then took a deep breath and looked up at him with clear, defiant eyes.
“Shall we get started?”
My God, she’s magnificent.
He had no idea where the thought came from, but it sat full and heavy in his head, edging out all other notions as he stared back at her. His lips twitched again, and he allowed them to form a small, teasing smile. He couldn’t help it.
“Shouldn’t we say hello first, chaton ?”
Kitten . Her eyes flared at his use of the old nickname and color flooded her cheeks.
“No,” she said. “I don’t think so.”
“Kate—”
“Fine.” She tilted her head to the side and offered him a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I was sorry to hear about your accident. How are you?”
“Much better now,” he answered.
She licked her lips nervously and looked around the room, finally gesturing to the painting over the small loveseat in a cozy alcove. “One of yours?”
It surprised him that she should remember his love of painting. He looked over at the artwork, a piece he’d completed at Chateau Nouvelle last summer. “Yes.”
She stared at it for an extra beat before turning back to him. “It’s good. You were always talented, Étienne.”
“You look good, Kate.” It wasn’t an appropriate thing to say, but he was starting to realize that he didn’t have much control over his words around her…which was the only way he could account for what came out of his mouth next. “Except for that dress.”
She took a deep, sharp breath, blinking at him in shock.
“Still hiding your curves.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed further as she looked down at her briefcase, picking up a sheet of paper and laying it flat on his desk.
“Shall we focus on business?” she asked, her voice tight.
“If you’ll recall, I was a fan of them.”
She stared at him, holding her breath, stunned and completely flustered.
“Sorry I said that about your dress,” he said, biting on his lower lip. “Seeing you again is…throwing me off. I-I haven’t been in the office for a while. This is my first day back and—”
“You know what, Étienne?” she interrupted, her eyes flashing with fury as they cut to his. “I’m not here for your amusement…or for a walk down memory lane…or for your obnoxious comments and backhanded compliments. I am here to review the legal issues arising from our acquisition of your—”
“Are you seeing anyone?” he blurted, ignoring her mini tirade.
She sighed, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe his insolence. He watched her carefully as she decided whether or not to answer the question, tensing and
Étienne’s lips twitched as he looked down, still holding open the conference room door. She was just as nervous as he was, and damn it, it made him want to smile because he was reminded of how flustered she could get and how much he used to like it.
Kate pivoted quickly, passing by him as she stepped back into the corridor. He closed the conference room door and led the way down the hall wordlessly, listening for her footfalls behind him. Stopping at his office, he opened the door and held it for her, clenching his jaw as she swept past him, trying to remind himself that the woman who was addling his mind right now was the same girl who’d looked into his eyes with devotion and then had promptly forgotten he ever existed.
Tightening his lips and narrowing his eyes, he trailed behind her, cursing his cane as he made his way slowly to his desk, finally lowering his body to the chair with relief.
Kate glanced at him, and then looked quickly around the room before taking a step toward one of two guest chairs in front of his desk, placing her briefcase in one and pulling out the other to sit. She unsnapped her briefcase, opening it and repositioning it to face her, then took a deep breath and looked up at him with clear, defiant eyes.
“Shall we get started?”
My God, she’s magnificent.
He had no idea where the thought came from, but it sat full and heavy in his head, edging out all other notions as he stared back at her. His lips twitched again, and he allowed them to form a small, teasing smile. He couldn’t help it.
“Shouldn’t we say hello first, chaton ?”
Kitten . Her eyes flared at his use of the old nickname and color flooded her cheeks.
“No,” she said. “I don’t think so.”
“Kate—”
“Fine.” She tilted her head to the side and offered him a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I was sorry to hear about your accident. How are you?”
“Much better now,” he answered.
She licked her lips nervously and looked around the room, finally gesturing to the painting over the small loveseat in a cozy alcove. “One of yours?”
It surprised him that she should remember his love of painting. He looked over at the artwork, a piece he’d completed at Chateau Nouvelle last summer. “Yes.”
She stared at it for an extra beat before turning back to him. “It’s good. You were always talented, Étienne.”
“You look good, Kate.” It wasn’t an appropriate thing to say, but he was starting to realize that he didn’t have much control over his words around her…which was the only way he could account for what came out of his mouth next. “Except for that dress.”
She took a deep, sharp breath, blinking at him in shock.
“Still hiding your curves.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed further as she looked down at her briefcase, picking up a sheet of paper and laying it flat on his desk.
“Shall we focus on business?” she asked, her voice tight.
“If you’ll recall, I was a fan of them.”
She stared at him, holding her breath, stunned and completely flustered.
“Sorry I said that about your dress,” he said, biting on his lower lip. “Seeing you again is…throwing me off. I-I haven’t been in the office for a while. This is my first day back and—”
“You know what, Étienne?” she interrupted, her eyes flashing with fury as they cut to his. “I’m not here for your amusement…or for a walk down memory lane…or for your obnoxious comments and backhanded compliments. I am here to review the legal issues arising from our acquisition of your—”
“Are you seeing anyone?” he blurted, ignoring her mini tirade.
She sighed, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe his insolence. He watched her carefully as she decided whether or not to answer the question, tensing and
Similar Books
